Reading view

There are new articles available, click to refresh the page.

Saturday Mac riddles 329

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Two credentials or 762 should be superseded by passkeys.

2: Notably from Autodesk but once by Claris, it’s 3,245.

3: From the Mac II until replaced by USB, 2,779 was quite enough.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 328

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 328. Here are my solutions to them.

1:

Les Cloches du soir
Carlos Schwabe (1866–1926), Evening Bells (1891), watercolour, dimensions not known, Museu Nacional de Belas Artes (MNBA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Wikimedia Commons.
Click for a solution

Angels

Schwabe’s painting shows a chain of angels emerging from a belfry.

2:

doredemons
Gustave Doré (1832–1883), The Demons Threaten Virgil (c 1857), engraving, dimensions and location not known. Image by Karl Hahn, via Wikimedia Commons.
Click for a solution

Daemons

Doré’s engraving shows The Demons Threaten Virgil, from his illustrations to Dante’s Inferno.

3: James Bond, Jason Bourne, George Smiley, Modesty Blaise

Click for a solution

Agents

They are each (secret) agents: James Bond from Ian Fleming, Jason Bourne from Robert Ludlum, George Smiley from John le Carré, and Modesty Blaise from Peter O’Donnell.

The common factor

Click for a solution

They are each run by launchd from property lists in folders titled LaunchAngels (new in Tahoe), LaunchDaemons and LaunchAgents.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 328

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1:

Les Cloches du soir
Carlos Schwabe (1866–1926), Evening Bells (1891), watercolour, dimensions not known, Museu Nacional de Belas Artes (MNBA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Wikimedia Commons.

2:

doredemons
Gustave Doré (1832–1883), [title withheld] (c 1857), engraving, dimensions and location not known. Image by Karl Hahn, via Wikimedia Commons.

3: James Bond, Jason Bourne, George Smiley, Modesty Blaise.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 327

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 327. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Lost rocket platform as an app for your apps.

Click for a solution

Launchpad

Lost (it has been removed from Tahoe) rocket platform (a launchpad) as an app for your apps (what it was, an app for launching other apps).

2: Burning telegraph and lynx now disconnected.

Click for a solution

FireWire

Burning (fire) telegraph (wire) and lynx (Texas Instruments’ name for FireWire, IEEE 1394) now disconnected (support has been dropped from Tahoe, although oddly its kernel extensions are still present).

3: Happy Christmas 2017 is sad September 2025 for the most powerful Mac.

Click for a solution

iMac Pro

Happy Christmas 2017 (although announced the previous June, it shipped in December 2017) is sad September 2025 (it’s one of the T2 models dropped from Tahoe) for the most powerful Mac (when introduced, it was described as “the most powerful Mac ever made”, at least until the Mac Pro 2019).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They have all been dropped from Tahoe.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 327

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Lost rocket platform as an app for your apps.

2: Burning telegraph and lynx now disconnected.

3: Happy Christmas 2017 is sad September 2025 for the most powerful Mac.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 326

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 326. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Melody containing cocoa plugs the ears.

Click for a solution

AirPods

Melody (an air) containing cocoa (pods) plugs the ears (what they do).

2: Confident bearing of attached label to track your stuff.

Click for a solution

AirTag

Confident bearing (an air) of attached label (a tag) to track your stuff (what it does).

3: Breeze reduction moves files wirelessly.

Click for a solution

AirDrop

Breeze (an air) reduction (a drop) moves files wirelessly (what it does).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They are each prefixed by Air, and work wirelessly.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 326

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Melody containing cocoa plugs the ears.

2: Confident bearing of attached label to track your stuff.

3: Breeze reduction moves files wirelessly.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 325

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 325. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Not quite a dogcow functions in six modules from 1991.

Click for a solution

ClarisWorks

Not quite a dogcow (the name has an uncanny resemblance to Clarus the Dogcow) functions (works) in six modules (what it contained) from 1991 (when it was first released for the Mac).

2: Suite in three movements replacing 1 from 2004.

Click for a solution

iWork

Suite in three movements (Pages, Keynote and Numbers) replacing 1 from 2004 (when Apple started replacing AppleWorks, successor to ClarisWorks, with iWork).

3: Yoga position with syncopated music, but it wasn’t the sequel to 1-2-3.

Click for a solution

Lotus Jazz

Yoga position (lotus) with syncopated music (jazz), but it wasn’t the sequel to 1-2-3 (an early attempt from Lotus to reproduce the success it had with Lotus 1-2-3 for PCs on the Mac, it flopped badly).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They were each ‘office’ suites for Mac OS.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 325

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Not quite a dogcow functions in six modules from 1991.

2: Suite in three movements replacing 1 from 2004.

3: Yoga position with syncopated music, but it wasn’t the sequel to 1-2-3.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 324

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 324. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Last edit from KeyGrip but not for the amateur.

Click for a solution

Final Cut Pro

Last (final) edit (cut) from KeyGrip (its original name when it was being developed by Macromedia) but not for the amateur (pro).

2: Movement to accompany 1 for its titles and effects.

Click for a solution

Motion

Movement (motion) to accompany 1 (it’s part of the suite) for its titles and effects (what it’s used for).

3: Opening that closed for your photos a decade ago.

Click for a solution

Aperture

Opening (an aperture) that closed for your photos a decade ago (it was Apple’s equivalent of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, but was discontinued in 2015).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They have each been among Apple’s ‘pro’ apps for those working with still and moving images, and competitors for Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 324

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Last edit from KeyGrip but not for the amateur.

2: Movement to accompany 1 for its titles and effects.

3: Opening that closed for your photos a decade ago.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 323

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 323. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Well-guarded like West Berlin was, it holds your greatest secrets.

Click for a solution

secure enclave

Well-guarded (secure) like West Berlin was (an enclave surrounded by East Germany), it holds your greatest secrets (what it does).

2: Motor nerve processes your images.

Click for a solution

neural engine

Motor (engine) nerve (neural) processes your images (what it does).

3: Cloth or worsted to connect it all together.

Click for a solution

fabric

Cloth or worsted (both are fabrics) to connect it all together (what it does).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They are relatively new features in Apple silicon chips.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 323

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Well-guarded like West Berlin was, it holds your greatest secrets.

2: Motor nerve processes your images.

3: Cloth or worsted to connect it all together.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 322

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 322. Here are my solutions to them.

1: It’s about evolution, and open source for 25 years.

Click for a solution

Darwin

It’s about evolution (when Steve Jobs announced Darwin as open source in 1999, he said this to link it with Charles Darwin), and open source for 25 years (first released as open source in 2000, and still being posted on GitHub). (Darwin consists of the open source components in macOS, and includes its kernel.)

2: If the kernel isn’t Unix, this is it.

Click for a solution

XNU

If the kernel isn’t Unix, this is it (XNU is the open source kernel within Darwin, and is available as part of the GitHub distribution. Its name is an abbreviation for X isn’t Unix).

3: Mud puddles in Pittsburgh misheard as the basis for 2.

Click for a solution

Mach

Mud puddles in Pittsburgh misheard (it was originally intended to be called Muck in honour of these, but was misheard and incorrectly written down as Mach) as the basis for 2 (the Mach microkernel, developed by Richard Rashid and Avie Tevanian, formed the basis of XNU. Tevanian went on to work at Apple, then NeXT, where he designed NeXTSTEP).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They are all open source elements in macOS.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 322

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: It’s about evolution, and open source for 25 years.

2: If the kernel isn’t Unix, this is it.

3: Mud puddles in Pittsburgh misheard as the basis for 2.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 321

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 321. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Where to sell an image of the Knolls in a two-year exclusive.

Click for a solution

Photoshop

Where to sell (a shop) an image (a photo) of the Knolls (originally developed by brothers Thomas and John Knoll, and licensed by Adobe) in a two-year exclusive (from February 1990 until its release on Windows in November 1992, it was exclusive to Mac).

2: Rembrandt, Claude Monet, JMW Turner and Corel.

Click for a solution

Painter

Rembrandt, Claude Monet, JMW Turner (all three were painters) and Corel (originally released in 1991 by Fractal Design, Painter was eventually bought by Corel).

3: One of the first two, it could be beige acrylic and written by Bill.

Click for a solution

MacPaint

One of the first two (together with MacWrite, it was one of the two apps bundled with the 128K Mac), it could be beige acrylic (paint the same colour as the 128K Mac) and written by Bill (Atkinson, 1951-2025, who wrote the app).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They have all been major raster graphics editors on the Mac.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 321

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Where to sell an image of the Knolls in a two-year exclusive.

2: Rembrandt, Claude Monet, JMW Turner and Corel.

3: One of the first two, it could be beige acrylic and written by Bill.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 320

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 320. Here are my solutions to them.

1: What ET wants is a call coming to the Mac.

Click for a solution

Phone

What ET wants (to phone home) is a call (a phone call) coming to the Mac (macOS Tahoe is bringing the Phone app).

2: A glass to enlarge among the liquid.

Click for a solution

Magnifier

A glass (a magnifying glass) to enlarge (what it does) among the liquid (Tahoe’s Liquid Glass interface feature).

3: Daybook you might already have started elsewhere.

Click for a solution

Journal

Daybook (a journal) you might already have started elsewhere (it was released in iOS 17.2, and is coming to macOS in Tahoe).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They are all new apps coming to macOS 26 Tahoe.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 320

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: What ET wants is a call coming to the Mac.

2: A glass to enlarge among the liquid.

3: Daybook you might already have started elsewhere.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 319

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 319. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Successor to 3 inside a scheme was part of a popular atelier.

Click for a solution

InDesign

Successor to 3 (Adobe developed it to replace the ailing PageMaker) inside (in) a scheme (a design) was part of a popular atelier (for many years it was one of the leading apps in Adobe’s Creative Studio).

2: High speed subatomic particle took the lead in the 1990s.

Click for a solution

QuarkXPress

High speed (express) subatomic particle (a quark) took the lead in the 1990s (by the mid-1990s it had taken around 90% of the desktop publishing market on Macs).

3: Creator of a squire’s assistant was the first, but died before Mac OS X.

Click for a solution

PageMaker

Creator (maker) of a squire’s assistant (a page) was the first (released in July 1985 for the Mac), but died before Mac OS X (by 2000, it was moribund as Adobe was replacing it with InDesign, released in 1999, and it was never ported to Mac OS X).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They have all been leading desktop publishing apps for Macs.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 319

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Successor to 3 inside a scheme was part of a popular atelier.

2: High speed subatomic particle took the lead in the 1990s.

3: Creator of a squire’s assistant was the first, but died before Mac OS X.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Saturday Mac riddles 317

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Total banker’s order quickly verifies integrity.

2: 1 broke by 2005, 2 is still cryptographic, 3 is even better, but not in Iran.

3: Missing from …MNOPQTUVW… but present in CD.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

❌